This invention relates in general to the field of building foundations and, more particularly, to a foundation support and lifting system and method.
Houses and other buildings or structures are often erected on foundations, such as concrete slabs or piers, which are not in direct contact with load supporting underground strata, such as bedrock or the like. If not initially constructed properly, or if soil conditions change, the foundation may settle, causing the foundation to move, sag and/or crack. Unless the building is supported, or shored, continued settling may result in major structural damage or collapse of the building.
There have been several suggestions in the prior art for supporting and lifting the foundation of a building. For example, according to one technique, beam members, or the like, are placed underneath the foundation and lifted to raise the foundation. However, this requires significant excavation of the ground area around the foundation which is very time consuming and labor intensive. Also, according to another technique, the foundation is lifted, or jacked up, and pilings are inserted underneath the foundation to support the foundation. However, the pilings are often not directly supported on the bedrock or other supporting underground strata, resulting in continued settling after the pilings are in place.
In still another technique utilizing pilings, in cooperation with a concrete slab, a support arm is placed beneath the concrete slab and pilings are inserted into the ground until bedrock or other supporting underground strata is contacted. Once the piling contacts the underground support strata, the lifting arm may be used to lift or support the concrete slab. However, the lifting arm is generally limited to concrete slabs.
Accordingly, a need has arisen for an improved foundation support and lifting system and method that provides increased flexibility to accommodate various foundation designs. The present invention provides an improved foundation support and lifting system and method that addresses shortcomings of prior systems and methods.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system for supporting a pier-supported structure includes a pier support assembly for engaging a pier of the structure and a guide assembly coupled to the pier support assembly. The system also includes a piling extending through the guide assembly and a clamp assembly adapted to engage the piling upon downward movement of the piling. The system further includes a drive system coupled to the clamp assembly and the pier support assembly. The drive system is operable to drive the piling downward relative to the pier support assembly until the piling encounters a pre-determined resistance.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for supporting a pier-supported structure includes securing a pier support assembly to a pier of the structure and inserting a piling through a support sleeve of the pier support assembly. The method also includes coupling a clamp assembly to the piling. The clamp assembly is operable to engage the piling upon downward movement of the piling. The method further includes coupling a drive system to the clamp assembly in and the pier support assembly and actuating the drive system to drive the piling downward relative to the pier support assembly until the piling encounters a pre-determined resistance.
The present invention provides several technical advantages. For example, the present invention provides a foundation support and lifting system and method that accommodates various foundation designs. For example, according to one aspect of the present invention, a pier support assembly is provided to engage a pier of a pier-supported structure. Pilings are coupled to the pier support assembly and extend downwardly to low-bearing bedrock or other supporting underground strata. The system and method may be used to support the piers of the pier-supported structure in an existing position or may be used to raise the pier relative to the ground to realign various portions of the pier-supported structure.
Other technical advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions, and claims.